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How to Fix iOS 10 iPhone 7 FaceTime Not Working Problems

How To

//September 28, 2016

It is really maddening when your medium or channel of communication is not working properly. This is true especially when you need to talk to your family and friends who are far away from you. One of the most popular app used for making video calls on the iPhone 7 is FaceTime. It is very easy to use it as it only requires one tap to make and answer a call. With the latest update of Apple’s operating system, some users experienced iOS 10 FaceTime not working problems.

Most problems are easy to solve since those are just the basic ones such as incorrect passwords or wrong phone number. Some users however have bigger issues with WiFi or router configurations or with servers of Apple. This article will show you different ways to solve iOS FaceTime Not working problems. You may have to check all solutions below to determine which one will solve the problem.

#1 Get the Latest Version of iOS

Apple solves some glitches on iOS devices right away by providing new updates. After the release of the new iOS 10 software, some users have experienced glitches. Therefore Apple released a small update to keep the users’ experiences smooth as possible. Simply check if you already received the latest update. Just make sure that you backup your files before downloading and installing the latest version.

After updating your device, check FaceTime again if it is already working or not. If you still can’t use it, you can jump to the next solution.

#2 Make sure FaceTime is ON

Using iOS 10 FaceTime is already automatic but if you accidentally turned it off, then there can be a problem like iOS 10 FaceTime not working. One of the things that are completely forgotten is turning on FaceTime on the iPhone 7. Although it is obvious that you cannot use FaceTime when it is off, some users just tend to forget to turn it back on.

To check if your FaceTime is on, simply go to Settings and scroll down to FaceTime. Tap it and make sure that it is green. If it is not green, it means that it is off so you need to sign in again using your Apple ID. From here, you can also check where your contacts can reach you. Make sure that the email address or your phone number entered is correct.

If you are not connected to Wi-Fi and you want to use FaceTime using cellular data, make sure that your Cellular Data is on. To check, go to Settings, tap Cellular and toggle on Cellular Data. Scroll down to see all apps listed and toggle on FaceTime.

For Mac users, simply open Facetime and turn it on. Enter your Apple ID if asked.

#3 Check Compatibility of Data Plan

Even if Sprint and Verizon have no problems with using FaceTime using 3G or 4G, there are some problems with AT&T network. Only new users of AT&T network with Shared Data plans seem to have no problems using FaceTime.

If you are using AT&T with no Shared Data plans, you may need to contact your service provider if it allows you to use FaceTime over 3G or 4G.

#4 Turn On and Off Airplane Mode

If you are experiencing problems with connectivity, it is possible to solve it by simply turning on Airplane mode for few seconds. Turn it off again after. This will refresh your iPhone 7’s network both cellular data and WiFi.

#5 Sign Out from FaceTime

It may be ridiculous but some users found this solution actually useful. Logging off and logging back in can fix some issues that are caused by account authentication. To sign out from FaceTime:

Open Settings.

Scroll down and tap FaceTime.

Toggle off FaceTime. Wait for a few seconds or a minute.

Turn it back on and “waiting for activation…” will appear.

Once it is on, tap the Apple ID field to Sign out.

Wait for few seconds and tap Use your Apple ID for FaceTime to re-log in.

#6 Turn Off Mute

One problem that is mostly experienced by FaceTime users is not being able to hear anything from the other side or vice versa. It is not really a good thing since you are using FaceTime to talk and not to stare at each other’s faces. So, if camera is working fine but you cannot hear anything, make sure that Mute is off.

To check Mute on iOS, simply go to Control Center and make sure that the bell icon is not highlighted or it is gray. If it is highlighted, it means that Mute is on. Tap the bell to turn it off. Another way to turn mute off is to make sure that the switch at the side of your device is not showing orange. If you see orange, it means that your device is muted. Simply flick to turn off mute.

To turn off Mute on Mac, go to System Preferences and click Sound. Make sure that mute is not on for both input and output. Another way to turn off mute is by pressing keyboard shortcut F10.

#7 Reboot your iDevice

Rebooting your device can solve many issues such as crashing apps, slow device performance and more. If you have not turned your device off for a while now, issues like iOS 10 FaceTime not working can happen. Simply turn off your device by pressing the Sleep/Wake button for a long time until you see Slide to Power Off. Turn it on again after a minute and re-launch FaceTime.

#8 Use The Same Apple ID

Another solution that can solve iOS FaceTime issues is using the same Apple ID with your FaceTime accounts. Simply go to Settings and tap FaceTime. Verify your Apple ID on the iPhone 7.

For Mac users, go to FaceTime and click Preferences. Check Apple ID and make sure that it is the same. If not, simply sign out and use the Apple ID that you are using for all Apple devices that you have.

#9 Reactivate Account

If you cannot connect to FaceTime and you keep on receiving “Connecting”, you can try to reactive your account.

Go to Settings and tap FaceTime. Turn the switch off and wait for few seconds before you turn it back on. You will see “waiting for activation”. If necessary, enter again your Apple ID and password.

If reactivating does not work, you can reset your network settings. Go to Settings, tap General and tap Reset. Tap Reset Network Settings. You will have to enter your WiFi password again after this.

For Mac users, launch FaceTime and click Preferences. Click Turn FaceTime Off and wait for few seconds before you turn it on again. If that did not work, go back to Preferences and click Settings. Sign out and wait for few seconds before you sign back in.

If iOS 10 FaceTime is still not working, you may have to switch your Mac’s DNS settings to Google’s open DNS. Click System Preferences, then Network, click Select Network (Wi-Fi), then Advanced. Click the DNS tab then the + button to add Google DNS. Enter 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Click OK and Apply.

Unable to Receive or Make FaceTime Calls on iPhone or iPad

You’ll get “Unable to Connect to Face Time Server” messages.

Restart your device and check if the issue will disappear.

Make sure that FaceTime is on from Settings then FaceTime.

For iPad, make sure that you are contacting the email address of the person you wish to call and not the number.

Check if Camera is restricted for FaceTime by going to Settings then General and look for Restrictions.

iOS 10 FaceTime Can’t Recognize Phone Number

Some iOS 10 users have reported that FaceTime cannot seem to recognize phone numbers. Using iMessage and FaceTime work for emails but not phone numbers which can be really problematic. There are few solutions to fix that problem:

Remove SIM card for few minutes and put it back in.

Log out from all Apple services then restart your device. After turning your device on, go to FaceTime and enter your Apple ID and password.

Log out from all Apple services then Reset Network Settings. This will remove your WiFi passwords so you will need to enter that again later. To reset network settings, go to Settings, tap General, tap Reset and select Reset Network Settings.

Try using a different SIM card to check if FaceTime will finally recognize phone number. If it did, you will have to contact your service provider to request for a new SIM card.

One of the solutions mentioned above should solve the iOS 10 FaceTime not working problem. If the problem still persists, go to the nearest Apple store to have a check on your device.

If you ran into problems throughout the steps, you can leave questions in the comment section and we will answer immediately!

One thought on “How to Fix iOS 10 iPhone 7 FaceTime Not Working Problems”

On my Mac with macOS Sierra 10.12 and iPhone/iPad with iOS 10.0.2, I have issues with calls.
I can use the Mac to make a FaceTime Call or a Phone Call, no problem. I can do the same on my iPad and iPhone.

The issue is about receiving calls. When all my devices aren’t in mute mode. If I receive a FaceTime Call or a Phone Call on the iPhone, the call appears on my Mac and iPad, but only the iPhone rings. Before they were all ringing and singing like a real concerto haha.

To be more serious, sometimes I let the iPhone charging in another room, and I don’t hear if someone calls me, before I used to answer on the iPad or Mac that were ringing as well. And if I missed a call on my iPhone I see the badge “1”. The iPad doesn’t display badges (except for missed FaceTime Calls), when it’s regular phone calls from iPhone it doesn’t show the badge. Is it a problem with iOS 10.0.2 ? The badge thing seems to work on Mac.

I know with the 1st iOS 10, I had no issue… So I was thinking because my iPhone/iPad are on iOS 10.0.2 maybe there is a bug about the iPhone transferring calls, the sound alert is missing. And the iPad doesn’t display badges.